Is it harder for young people to find a job?

Is the job market turning its back on the next generation? In this episode of the Future of Work podcast, we dive deep into the newly released 2026 ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth report with lead author Sara Elder. After a brief post-pandemic recovery, global youth unemployment is back up to 12.4 per cent, and the global share of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) has risen to 20 per cent.

Why are young people facing renewed economic stagnation, and how is the rise of artificial intelligence reshaping entry-level roles across different regions?

We go beyond the statistics by bringing powerful on-the-ground perspectives from Youth Representatives from the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Anca-Ana Sampetrean (Romania), Isaura Rodríguez Calderón (Mexico), and Innocent Mudzingwa (Zimbabwe). Together, we explore why youth unemployment is a structural challenge rather than a personal failing, the gap between education and modern labour market demands, and what governments, businesses, and institutions must do right now to ensure young people have a fair path forward.